John Thomson and the Turk [Child 266]

DESCRIPTION: John Thomson is fighting the Turks when his wife appears. She then sets off and willingly joins the household of Violentrie. When Thomson learns she is missing, he finds her in the Turk's home. He attacks the Turk, burns his castle, and hangs his wife
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1801
KEYWORDS: love separation war fight foreigner punishment disguise trick
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber)) US(NE)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Child 266, "John Thomson and the Turk" (2 texts)
Bronson 266, "John Thomson and the Turk" (1 version)
Flanders/Olney-BalladsMigrantInNewEngland, pp. 91-95, "The Trooper and the Turk" (1 text)
Flanders-AncientBalladsTraditionallySungInNewEngland4, pp. 45-49, "John Thomson and the Turk" (1 text)
Whitelaw-BookOfScottishBallads, pp. 149-151, "John Thomson and the Turk" (1 text)
DT 266, TROOPTRK
Roud #110
NOTES [39 words]: According to Mary Ellen Brown, Child's Unfinished Masterpiece: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, University of Illinois Press, 2011, p. 137, Child once referred to this as "an extremely curious (though very bad) ballad. - RBW
Last updated in version 3.2
File: C266

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography